# Supreme Court Ruling Sparks Black Voter Mobilization in Alabama > Alabama’s Black voters surge to the polls after Supreme Court gutted Voting Rights Act. - Title: Supreme Court Ruling Sparks Black Voter Mobilization in… - Summary: Alabama’s Black voters surge to the polls after Supreme Court gutted Voting Rights Act. Supreme Court’s removal of Voting Rights Act protections has… - Keywords: alabama, voting rights act, shomari figures, supreme court, black voters, congressional district, redistricting, callais decision, democratic, republican, Supreme, Court - Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/shomari-figures-alabama-supreme-court-callais-backlash-black-turnout-vra - Author: Ari Berman - Published: 2026-10-29T08:57:11+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: alabama, voting rights act, shomari figures, supreme court, black voters, congressional district, redistricting, callais decision, democratic, republican ## Supreme Court decision The Supreme Court dismantled the Voting Rights Act this spring, allowing Republicans to redraw Alabama’s congressional districts. > The Supreme Court has now confirmed that there is no longer a Voting Rights Act in America. ## Alabama’s new district Republicans removed Shomari Figures’ hometown of Mobile and Black Belt counties from the district, adding white rural Wiregrass regions to dilute Black voting power. > They took a pen, they carved it up, they carved out some communities of people who look like me. ## Dothan rally A standing-room-only crowd of 400 to 500 people rallied for Shomari Figures in Dothan, Alabama, marking the largest Democratic event in decades. > Oh man, when’s the last time y’all been to a rally like this in Dothan? ## Historic turnout Black voter turnout surged in Alabama’s primary elections, with Montgomery’s Democratic stronghold seeing a 10-point increase compared to 2022. > Black turnout has risen in 80 percent of counties nationwide compared to the last midterm election. ## Civil rights legacy Shomari Figures, a product of the civil rights movement, moved to Montgomery after Republicans redrew his district, where the civil rights movement began. > Montgomery is the birthplace of the civil rights movement. ## Family history Shomari Figures’ father, Michael, was born in the Jim Crow South in 1947 and became a civil rights lawyer who won a landmark case against the United Klans of America. > Michael Donald is memorialized by EJI as the last person ever lynched by the Klan. ## Current race dynamics Shomari Figures’ district, now 40 percent Black, still has the largest Black share of the population in any battleground seat in the country. > At the end of the day, campaigns are about getting out and letting people meet you. ## Voter backlash Black voters view the Supreme Court as the biggest threat to their community, with 80 percent saying the Callais decision made them much more likely to vote. > This Supreme Court decision is an encapsulation. The Black community feels that there is an existential threat to their community. ## Economic impact Shomari Figures argues that voting rights issues are economic issues, as lack of voting rights impacts community resources, jobs, and economic opportunities. > Because for us civil rights and voting rights issues are economic issues. ## Rally in Montgomery Shomari Figures held a rally in Montgomery, where he moved after Republicans redrew his district, to build support in his adopted hometown. > It’s crazy when you tell a product of the civil rights movement that Mobile is your home base. ## Political strategy Shomari Figures has outraised his Republican opponent, state Rep. Rhett Marques, and run targeted ads highlighting his family background and opposition to voter suppression. > He has outraised his Republican opponent, state Rep. Rhett Marques. ## Historical context Alabama has no early voting and requires approved reasons for mail-in ballots, making it harder to get new voters to the polls. > Alabama also ranks near the bottom in voter turnout and has some of the country’s most restrictive voting laws. ## Future implications If Shomari Figures wins, it could signal that egregious attempts at partisan and racial gerrymandering can still be defeated. > Even if Figures wins reelection, his district will likely be redrawn again after the election. ## National impact The backlash to the Callais decision has mobilized Black voters across Southern states, with increased turnout in Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. > Black turnout has risen in 80 percent of counties nationwide compared to the last midterm election. ## Long-term consequences The Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act has created a new voting rights struggle in Alabama, with potential for broader national impact. > This midterm election you’re going to see people come out in droves because they see democracy has become fragile. ## Key takeaway Supreme Court’s removal of Voting Rights Act protections has mobilized Black voters in Alabama, turning a Republican-held district into a competitive race for Rep. Shomari Figures.